


Taken

by lullabelle_moon



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Angst, Grief/Mourning, Grieving, Heavy Angst, Kidnapping, M/M, Presumed Dead, Threats of Violence, accident aftermath, affair reveal, hero robert, of sorts, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 15:09:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4484111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lullabelle_moon/pseuds/lullabelle_moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based On A Prompt: AU: After the disaster at the wedding Aaron is presumed dead and a grieving Robert reveals everything at his funeral- little does he know that Aaron is alive, and is being kept captive at Home Farm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taken

Robert couldn't hold it in when the police man came to tell them that they hadn't found Aaron. There was nothing left they'd told them. No hope for any survivors. Chas was distraught and clinging to Paddy as she screamed; begging for it to not be true, to take her instead. Robert walked away; his head throbbing as he made it around the corner before doubling over and throwing up on the road. He retched again and again; tears streaming down his face before falling back against the wall and gripping his knees as he screamed.

"Have you seen Robert?"  
Victoria shrugged,  
"He um...he won't answer my calls. Won't open the door."  
Diane rubbed her back slowly,  
"Come on."  
Victoria stood up and took Adams hand as they walked from the pub and made their way to the church.

They walked in and stopped at the sight of Robert sitting in the pews. Victoria walked over to him and touched his shoulder,  
"Rob?"  
Robert looked at her and she had to cover a gasp as his appearance. His eyes were red and puffy; his skin pale and sunken and he had deep shadows under his eyes,  
"Rob..."  
Robert turned and looked forward again; staring at the picture of Aaron at the front.  
"He didn't deserve this. Didn't deserve to die like this."  
A tear fell from Roberts eye and he ignored it as it made its way down his cheek.  
"He was everything that was good."  
Victoria frowned,  
"Rob what are you talking about?"  
Robert swallowed and fell silent again until the church was full.

It was when Ashley asked if anyone wanted to say some words about Aaron that Robert stood up,  
"I do."  
He ignored the looks from Chas and Paddy and walked to the front. He stopped at the photo of Aaron and had to close his eyes to keep himself from breaking down. He took a deep breath and stepped up to the pulpit,  
"I won't make it long."  
He looked out at everyone staring at him and swallowed. He glanced over to Chas and took a breath,  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I messed everything up. That I hurt him. I'm sorry that we lied to you. To all of you."  
He took another breath,  
"Aaron was everything that was good in the world. He's light...and he's good. And he..."  
He brushed a tear away and looked over at the photo again,  
"I never got to tell him. Never got to make it up to him so I'm telling you all. Maybe this will...make it a bit better."  
He met Chas's eye and nodded,  
"Aaron and I have been having an affair for months. Not just...I fell in love with him and it changed everything. Everything. And I hurt him because I was too damn coward to tell him. I never got the chance to tell him properly and I have to live with that."  
He looked at everyone staring at him in shock,  
"And now I live with whatever you throw at me because I can tell you. Whatever you have is nothing compared to how much I hate myself for not..."  
He wiped his face,  
"I love him."  
He looked down and gasped as a new wave of tears came over him. He wiped his face again and left the church; ignoring all the whispers and looks as he went.

The key turned in the lock and the room was filled with light as it opened; exposing the chair in the room with the man tied and gagged. He lifted his head and squinted at the sudden light. Chrissie walked in slowly and shut the door behind her before clicking the light on and walking over to the chair in the corner,  
"Turns out you are very popular. The church was full."  
She pulled another chair over and sat on it,  
"It's not the best part though."  
She rested her hands on her knees and leant forward,  
"Robert was there. Declaring his love."  
She sneered,  
"He's gonna forget you. They're all gonna forget you."  
She sat back in her chair,  
"Nothing to say?"  
She cocked her head,  
"Shame."  
She stood up,  
"I'll be sure to give your mum my respects."  
She touched his face gently as he tried to pull away,  
"Sad really...I'll bet you two could've been happy. Oh well."  
She squeezed his jaw slightly and let go before heading back to the door; clicking the light off and leaving Aaron in the dark once again.

It had happened suddenly; the pain in his head and then darkness. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the room but he knew it had to have been several days. He was left on his own most of the time; someone- usually Lawrence- would come in and give him food and water, would let him use the toilet. He was handcuffed to make sure he wouldn't make any sudden moves and when he wasn't eating or drinking he was gagged. He'd stopped crying. Instead he sat and planned how he would escape. How he would make them pay. Then Chrissie came in and held out an order of service in front of his face,  
"They think you're dead."  
She threw the paper in his face,  
"No one’s coming for you Aaron. No one."  
Aaron had fought against his restraints and tried to scream at her through the gag only to have Chrissie slap him. She stood over him and glared down at him,  
"This is your fault."  
She had only come into the room briefly after that. Usually to taunt him; something that no longer bothered Aaron. He'd taken to living inside his head; replaying memories that would bring him peace- times with family, times with Jackson. Moments with Robert. The idea of Robert coming to save him was one that had played in his mind until he figured it wasn't happening and he had to push it from his mind- Chrissie telling him that Robert had declared his love had made the idea come back and it started to comfort Aaron in the moments when he prayed for death instead.

Aaron had fallen asleep only to be woken suddenly by the door shutting;  
"Hmm?"  
Lawrence walked over and grabbed his chin; making him meet his eye,  
"Chrissie has...been talked to. You're not going to tied up. But I am warning you Aaron...any funny business and you'll be back on that chair do you understand?"  
Aaron nodded and Lawrence sat down opposite him,  
"I need you to understand that we're not bad people. But what you did...the pain you caused. You had to pay."  
Aaron swallowed; flinching when Lawrence reached for his gag,  
"Now now Aaron..."  
He pulled his gag down and Aaron gulped down air as he moved his jaw around,  
"You're insane."  
Lawrence paused then let out a chuckle,  
"Big words for someone still tied to the chair."  
"You think you're going to get away with this?"  
Lawrence sighed and sat down again,  
"Aaron...they think you're dead. They're moving on. We've already got away with it."  
Aaron clenched his jaw and glared at him. Lawrence stood up and moved behind him; he unlocked Aaron's hands and took the handcuffs,  
"Now before you get any smart ideas you should know...I didn't come in here unarmed."  
Aaron rubbed his wrists and looked up at Lawrence,  
"You're not a killer."  
Lawrence chuckled again and headed to the door,  
"I'll be back later. Enjoy your new found freedom."  
He closed the door and locked it. Aaron pulled the gag from his neck and dropped it on the floor as he stood up and paced the room; running his hands through his hair and trying to clear his mind. He made it to the wall and slid down it; the stretch in his legs making him wince. He put his head back against the cool wall and gave in to the tears that had been forced down for so long.

Robert did his trousers up then climbed from the bed and walked downstairs,  
"Hi."  
Robert looked at Victoria and gave a half smile,  
"Are you going to do anything today?"  
Robert sat down on the sofa and rubbed his face,  
"I need my stuff. Figured it's time I get it back."  
Victoria handed him a cup of coffee,  
"You want me to come with you?"  
Robert took a gulp as he looked up at her and shook his head.  
"No...I'll do it."  
He sighed and stood back up,  
"I'll see you later yeah?"  
He pressed a kiss to her head before  
heading out.

"Robert."  
Robert nodded at Chas who touched his hand gently; the weeks following Aaron's funeral had given them time to make amends, she'd caught up with him outside the church and asked if he'd meant what he said, if he really loved Aaron. She'd taken him in his arms and hugged him as he cried; and slowly they had been able to comfort one another through their grief.  
"I was looking through some of Aaron's things and I found something you might want."  
Robert frowned,  
"What?"  
Chas gestured for him to follow and they walked into the back room.  
"Aaron's always been a bit of a secret hoarder. Ever since he was a kid. I found a box under his bed...here."  
Robert took the box and sat down on the sofa. He ran his fingers over the side of the lid then took it off and looked inside; his heart jumping into his throat as he saw the collection of items inside. He lifted up a CD and laughed,  
"This was what Aaron would put on in the car...he kept saying I had to choose better music or he would stop letting me drive..."  
Chas smiled at him as he went through the box; bringing up memories and stories about them as Chas watched him. He lifted up a photo and stopped. The photo was from a booth they had found when they had snuck away for a full weekend together. Aaron had dragged him into it and was grinning madly in the picture as Robert pressed a kiss to his cheek. His vision blurred and he clenched his jaw; Chas moved over to him,  
"I uh...I didn't realise he had kept the photo. I figured he'd thrown it out when we..."  
A tear streaked down his face and he put the photo down,  
"I uh...I should go. I have to get my stuff."  
Chas held his shoulder and squeezed it gently,  
"I should've left months ago. I should've told him over...and over...how much I loved him. I was weak. I was weak and pathetic and I was selfish and he...I can never take it back. The hurt I caused."  
He looked at Chas,  
"I know you don't trust me. But I love him."  
Chas hugged him quickly then stepped away and picked up a hoodie that was hanging over the chair. She took a shaky breath and turned to Robert who was still staring at the items in the box. She took a moment to look at the man she hated so much only weeks before; she took in how much he'd changed, how small and tired he seemed. She gripped the hoodie and stepped over to him again.  
"Robert?"  
He looked up at her and she held the hoodie out,  
"Here."  
He took the clothing from her and held it in his hands; his mind flooding with the memories of taking the exact same hoodie off Aaron. He looked up at her again,  
"Are you sure?"  
She nodded,  
"You should have something of his as well."  
He stood up and put a hand on her arm,  
"Thank you."  
She nodded and waved her hand over her face as she felt the tears in her eyes and left the room quickly. Robert held the garment in his hand; he waited a moment then brought it to his nose; breathing deeply and inhaling Aaron's smell. His legs buckled slightly and he groaned as sobs started ripping through him.

"Oh for god sake what do you want?"  
Robert shoved his hands in his pockets,  
"I want my stuff."  
Chrissie sighed and stepped aside,  
"Fine. Five minutes. Grab your stuff and get the hell out."  
Robert strode past her and headed upstairs. He walked to the bedroom and started grabbing the belongings that Chrissie hadn't thrown away. He filled a bag and started heading downstairs when he heard a noise. He walked over to a door and turned the handle; finding it locked he listened in to the door and frowned. He was certain he had heard a noise coming from inside but shook his head and walked away; unaware that just on the other side Lawrence had his hand across Aaron's mouth and a knife against his side. Aaron was whimpering into the hand and gripping his wrist tightly,  
"Keep it quiet and I'll let you go."  
Aaron shut his eyes as he heard Robert walk away; his heart breaking knowing that he was on the other side of the door.

Robert got downstairs and stopped; his suspicions rose as he thought about what they could be hiding. He frowned and looked around,  
"Chrissie?"  
Chrissie started when she heard his voice,  
"What?"  
Robert put the bag on the desk,  
"Whys the door locked? The spare room?"  
Chrissie folded her arms,  
"Why do you care? You don't live here. It's not your business is it?"  
He watched her and frowned,  
"What are you hiding?"  
Chrissie stood up straight,  
"Nothing I do is any of your business. You've got your crap, now get out. Go back to crying over your little boyfriend."  
Robert stepped closer; his fist clenched,  
"You gonna hit me? That make you feel better?"  
Robert clenched his jaw tightly,  
"You're not worth it."  
He looked Chrissie up and down and left with his belongings; stopping outside the house and looking up at the windows. He caught the eye of Lawrence and frowned at him; his stomach twisting as he felt he shouldn't leave.

Aaron glared at Chrissie as she walked in to the room and dropped a bottle of water in front of his feet.  
"He's gone. He's got his stuff and he's not coming back."  
Aaron clenched his jaw and looked up at her,  
"You're insane."  
Chrissie grabbed his jaw,  
"He was MY husband. MINE. And you took him."  
"You don't even have a plan. What's the point Chrissie? Huh? You gonna just have me live here forever? You have no idea what you're doing."  
She shoved his head back,  
"I'm going to wait until they've forgotten you. Until they've moved on. And then I'm going to make you watch as your family and friends are happy without you."  
She looked him up and down,  
"I'm gonna make sure you're never happy again."  
She stood up and left the room as Aaron picked up the water and threw it as hard as he could at the wooden door.

"What's wrong?"  
Robert had been playing the afternoon over and over in his mind. He'd heard a noise in that room. They never locked it. He didn't even know that the door had a lock. He looked up at Adam,  
"Nothing...nothing."  
He got up and walked to his room. Closing the door he started pacing back and forth as he tried to figure out what the Whites could possibly be hiding. He sat on the edge of the bed and pushed his hands through his hair; he started as he looked at the time and realised he'd been in the same position for nearly four hours.  
"Come on Robert...stop."  
He took a deep breath and stood up to get changed. He changed his shirt and noticed the hoodie folded on the chair. He picked it up and brought it to his nose again. He breathed Aaron's smell and smiled to himself,  
"I wish you were right now Aaron. You'd talk some sense into me."  
He sighed and sat down on the bed. He hugged the hoodie to himself,  
"I miss you."  
He lay down; still hugging the hoodie until he fell asleep.

He awoke from a disturbed sleep and sat up slowly, his dreams were filled with images of Aaron. He was dragged from his sleep by a memory of Chrissie telling him he was going to make him pay. She was going to take everything he loved and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He rubbed his face and looked around; sick to his stomach at the thoughts he was having. He looked at the picture of him and Aaron and swallowed,  
"You're dead....you're dead."  
He got up and dressed quickly before heading out.

"Chas? Chas?"  
Chas ran down the stairs,  
"What?"  
Robert held his hands up,  
"I know it's insane and I can't explain everything right now but I need to know...they send a death certificate? He's definitely dead?"  
Chas's face changed to confusion,  
"Robert what are you on about? Of course he's dead. Why would you even say that?"  
Robert rubbed his face,  
"I think they have him."  
"Who?"  
"Chrissie. And Lawrence- they were there. They could have taken him."  
Chas sighed,  
"Robert-"  
"No. Listen to me...I can't explain it I just...please. Help me. I need to go there and find him."  
Chas grabbed his arms,  
"It's been nearly three months."  
"I know how long it's been alright? I'm not crazy."  
He pushed his hands through his hair,  
"What if he's still alive?"  
Chas slapped him hard,  
"You didn't get enough messing my son about when he was alive you need to rub it in my face now that he's dead?"  
Robert looked at her in shock,  
"Chas...I didn't..."  
She stepped back,  
"My son is dead."  
Robert stepped closer,  
"Chas-"  
"No. Get out. GET OUT."  
Robert nodded and left; slamming the door behind him.

"Please Andy...please."  
Andy frowned,  
"This sounds insane."  
Robert dropped his head,  
"I need you to just...just believe in me okay? If I'm wrong...if I'm wrong I'll leave forever alright? I promise."  
Andy sighed,  
"Fine. Get Adam. We'll go down there. See what's going on."  
Robert wanted to weep with relief,  
"Thank you. Thank you."

"Keep him quiet."  
Chas flipped a page in the paper,  
"Yes. I know."  
Lawrence gestured for Lachlan and they left; mere moments before the car pulled up and the three men climbed out. They went to the door and pressed the doorbell. Chrissie opened it a few moments later and sighed heavily,  
"Oh for god sake Robert what now?"  
Robert pushed past her,  
"Excuse me?"  
He headed straight upstairs and Chrissie ran after him. Adam grabbed her and held her arms,  
"What's the problem Chrissie?"  
Robert ignored the shouting and headed straight to the room. He tried to turn the handle again only to find it still locked; he looked around and leant into the wood,  
"Aaron?"  
Muffled yelling came from inside the room and Robert looked at Andy,  
"Call the police. NOW."  
Andy ran back downstairs as Robert started throwing himself at the door. It flew open on his third try and he fell into the room. He could hear Chrissie screaming and yelling and coughed as he looked up. Seeing Aaron tied to the chair with the gag in his mouth he scrambled to his feet and ran over,  
"Aaron."  
He pulled the gag free,  
“Are you okay? Are you okay?”  
Aaron nodded,  
"Robert. Oh my god. Oh my god."  
Robert untied his hands and immediately hugged him. Aaron wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly as he gasped for breath.  
"Rob-holy shit."  
Andy was in the doorway,  
"Aaron...you were right."  
Robert was too busy clinging to Aaron to pay attention,  
"You're alive. You're alive."  
He pulled back and cupped Aaron's face,  
"I love you, I love you."  
Aaron nodded; tears streaming down his face as he gripped Roberts arms,  
"I love you too. I love you too."

Chas ran from the car before it even stopped; flinging her arms around Aaron's neck and hugging him tightly. He hugged her back until the paramedic made them separate so he could look Aaron over. Chas stepped back and found Robert talking to a police man.  
"Robert."  
He turned and saw her just as she pulled him in to a hug,  
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”  
Robert pulled away and shook his head,  
“He’s okay. He’s gonna be okay.”  
Chas wiped a tear away and nodded,  
“Where’s Chrissie?”  
Robert looked over at where Aaron was being treated,  
“She’s been arrested already…I don’t know where Lachlan and Lawrence are.”  
Chas nodded and hugged Robert again,  
“Thank you for bringing him back.”  
Robert looked at her for a long moment,  
“I’m never gonna let him down again. I promise.”  
Chas nodded,  
“You better not.”  
Robert’s attention was taken by the police man again as Chas made her way over to Aaron.

Once he was let go by the police, Robert walked over to where Aaron was sitting. The man looked up at him and tightened the blanket wrapped around his shoulders,  
“They said I can go home soon.”  
Robert nodded and sat beside him. Aaron reached for him; hugging him tightly,  
“Thank you.”  
Robert cupped his face and stroked his cheek with his thumb,  
“I never want to go through losing you again.”  
Aaron closed his eyes and leant his head into Robert’s touch,  
“You won’t have to.”  
Robert kissed his forehead and moved his arm to wrap around Aarons shoulder. Aaron put his head on Roberts shoulder as they looked out at the people milling around and tried to make sense of everything that had happened.


End file.
